Laboratory apparatus.



K.P. MCELHUY. LABORATORY APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED MAY IGI 19|?.

Patented Jun. 2 2, 1918.

WILLI! KARL P. MGELROY, 0F WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.V

LABORATORY APPARATUS.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, KARL P. MCELROY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Washington, in the District of Columbla, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Laboratory Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to laboratory apparatus and it comprises a steam generating device provided with a water receptacle, means for `delivering Water thereln, means for maintaining a constant level of the Water in the receptacle, and a branch, advantageously a pipe, leadin from the res ceptacle at a point below t e level oi` the Water and extending upwardly to a point.

above the level of the water in the receptacle whereby the water may be heated in 'this v 'branch at a point corresponding to the level of the water in the receptacle and whereby the steam thus generated can be directed from this branch to a point of use; and the invention comprises a vertical water tube provided with an adjustable tube or' overflow for maintaining a given level 1nV the first tube and an open ended tube or pipe' communicating with the side of the first tube below the water level therein and extending unwardly beyond the Water levely together with heating means for the o en' ended tube;y all as more fully hereina er Set forth and as. claimed.

For laboratory purposes Vit is often des sirable to have av source of steam adapted to be run by alBunsen burner and to furnish small quantities of steam at 100D C. .or higher, for. various chemical reactions and for heating purposes. It is further desirable that such an apparatus be quick acting,y small and convenient of form. Boilers small enough for use on a laboratory desk are unhandy and require too much attention. It is the object of the Vpresent invention to meet this requirement.

vantageouslypartly of glass, and closed at the lower end. Through this closed end I pass a vertical glass or metal tube to serve as an overflow plpe; makin it adJustable to allow variation in water evel. An 'open `To this end, I provide a vertical tube, which may be of glass or metal but is ad- Specication of Letters Patent. Iatnted Jan, 229 1918.

Application led May 16, 1917. Serial No. 169,109.

ended steam tube is connected to the side of the vertical tube and bent or sloped upward so that its discharge end, or open end, is at a higher level than the normal Water level. This steam tube is best made of copper. On now placing a burner under the steam tube at the Water level, steam is generated in quantity and by placing other burners along the tube it may be super heated to any desired degree. The steam is discharged in large volumes but not ordinarily under any great pressure; the pressure not. exceeding the water height in the vertical tube. Ordinarily, I do not have a steam pressure more than that corresponding to an inch or so of water. Such a pressure however is sufficient for all ordinary.

heating and chemical purposes in the laboratory. If, for example,V an open casing is to be heated by blowing superheated steam therein, there is of course no back pressure; and evenif the casing is closed the condensation as vthe heating goes on prevents production of pressure by the further introduction of the steam. The apparatus can of course be modified to work `under more or less pressure, butthis detracts from l its simplicity'and where steam under pressure 1s wanted other means are available. The object of the present invention is to provide means for delivering comparatively.

upon an' ordinary laboratory standgand Fig. 2 is a longitudinal `verticalection i throughout the complete ap aratus.\

In these drawings, 1f in icates the base of an ordinary laboratorystand `having the uprlght 2 and the clamp 3 attached thereto by means of the adjustable .clamp 4. Thi's stand and the brackets and clamps form no part of my invention but are shown to illus'- trate one method of conveniently mounting my steam generating apparatus upon the ordinary stand used in a chemical laboratory.

I g; Y 1,264,048

. temperature at which the steam The complete apparatus of my invention may be made up of a plurality of ipe fittings. I have shown the section o pipe 5 having a shoulder 6 and screw threaded upper extension 7. Tube 8, advantageouslyfof glass, is held upon the shoulder 6 by means of the nut 9. packinfbr 10 being employed it' necessary. The bottom extension 11 of the sectionv 5 is provided with a stopper 12 which may be of cork -or other suitable such stopper havinlgr an opening 13 the overfiow pipe or constant level maintaining device 14. This level maintaining device may be a simple copper tube or a glass tube and it is adapted to be raised and lowered to extend upwardly in the tube 8.

At the top of the tube, Water delivering copper or other high heat conducting,r metal. The water maintained at a level B corresponding to the level A in the water tube 8, This stealn directing,r tube 22 is preferably directed upwardly in order that the surface of the water at B can spread out. in a relatively thin l. yer to facilitate rapid generation of steam. he steam directing tube 22 may be of any length desired and as many different urners as are needed may be one such burner indicated by the numeral 23 being placed directly under the Water in tube 22 at B. rapidly causes the Water of this thin layer flash into steam. Another v may be placed farther along the length of the steam directing portion 22 to superheat may be used,

long I can supply a quantity of steam at a temperature suflicient to char Wood. The

may be delivered is only limited by the melting point of the material of the Steam delivering tube 22.

When the steam is delivered, for instance, into a closed casing there is likely to be a the tube 22 which slight back pressure in pressure will be transmitted to the water in tube 8 and therefore the tube 14 'in tube 8, under these conditions, ma'y have to be tioned slightly higher than the level o the water at B in The operation of the from the foregoing description. The device is exceptionally compact and simple in construction comprising a relatively few num# ber of simple parts. These parts ma be easily assembled and may be made of c eap material. In thisvcompact form the device is convenient in a laboratory, and the arrangement of the parts are such that it can be quicklyand securely mounted upon a stand as is shown in Fi 1.

lVhen it is desired, a the like 25 prising a water receptacle, me'ans for coml above water the branch at a. point corresponding to the level of thev Water in the receptacle to generate steam in said branch. according to' claim 1v in which the means for maintaining constant water comprises an adjustable tube open at both ends. An apparatus accordin which the water receptacl holder and a separable tube set therein.

4. An apparatus according to claim 3 p vided with a tube located in the receptacle and adapted to be raised or lowered.

n apparatus according to claim 1 in which the branch is removably secured to the walter receptacle. y l

n apparatus according to claim l in which the branch comprises a plurality of separable parts. Y

n apparatus according to claim l in the water receptacle comprises a section of pipe, a tube in communication with said section and in which the branch is removably secured to said section.

' nv apparatus in accordance with claims` 1 to 7 inclusive in combination with means for heating the Wa ter in the branch.

9. An apparatus in accordance with claim 8 in which in addition to the said heating apparatus there is additional heating appato claim l in this is not neces*A comprises a' Il() y muis-1s Q 3 ratus for superheafng the steam generated recoptaclo below said point and extending ih .the branch. beyond the cnnlnes of said receptacle to a l0. An apparatus for genot-ating steam level at lcast equal tu said point, and means 10 comprisnga watvr reccptaclv. moans for ('lvfor heating thv vater in said pipe. 5 lvel'iug water tlwl'oto, means for pormting ln testimony whereof. I aflx my signature water to over-How from a certain point in hel-elo.

aid recepiacl, a pipe loading frmn tlm said l K. I. MCELROY. 

